Now I'm just sleep deprived and getting depressed

Dannnyph, that's wonderful that within a week you were all set and great. But to be honest with you, the only negative thought I have is that I need a damn mask that will work and a doctor that not f*cking with me. I was excited to get the machine and to start sleeping better. The feeling of suffocating and choking at the beginning was not because I had negative thoughts. Its because I couldn't breathe. Every night I head to bed excited, sure that THIS is the night I will sleep. So, with all due respect, I don't need a pep talk on positive thinking. I have been very determined to make this work. I need a doctor and DME that will help me get the right set up without making it so difficult every freaking step of the way.

Sorry if I sound bitchy. I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row for over a week now.

pandatx wrote:Sorry if I sound bitchy. I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row for over a week now.

You've got every right to be bitchy. The more I read of what these idiots are doing to you (or should I say "not doing FOR you") the angrier I get.

It seems to me you've got two, MAJOR issues - Mask issues and possibly too low a pressure. Until these things are resolved, you're just NOT going to sleep well.

I wonder if there is anybody knowledgeable (maybe from here) close by that could help you? Your doctor/DME sure don't seem interested in helping you....

Maybe looking at the report, for now, would be enough for mollete to give some insight?

Pugsy helped tremendously. I disabled the ramp and increased my pressure by +1. It might need to go up. Or maybe I'd just do better with a nasal mask and not pillows. Its just frustrating to not be getting help (and not only that, but worse, to be getting attitude) from the DME/Dr office. I'm probably oversensitive right now too b/c I'm TIRED and I haven't been feeling well on top of that.

pandatx wrote:I have been very determined to make this work. I need a doctor and DME that will help me get the right set up without making it so difficult every freaking step of the way.
Sorry if I sound bitchy. I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row for over a week now.

Don't make me have to sound bitchy.
The doctor/DME don't give a damn about you.
I never saw the alledged "sleep doctor".
My DME was The Big A. They lied to me.
I have a great PC doc who wrote two 'scripts
just the way I asked so I could get what I wanted.
Then, w/help from this forum, I did what I had to do
to make it work. I did not have 3hrs of sleep in a row for
years before I started cpap and less for weeks after I started.
It took 6wks of gluing and chin straps and pillows before I moved
onto a FFM. It took another 6wks of trying masks and pressure adjustments
until I got it right.

pandatx wrote:Its just frustrating to not be getting help (and not only that, but worse, to be getting attitude) from the DME/Dr office. I'm probably oversensitive right now too b/c I'm TIRED and I haven't been feeling well on top of that.

You are down in it now. This is where the rubber meets the road.
It's not about them. It's about you.
This is where your life changes.
Make it happen.

pandatx wrote:Pugsy helped tremendously. I disabled the ramp and increased my pressure by +1. It might need to go up. Or maybe I'd just do better with a nasal mask and not pillows. Its just frustrating to not be getting help (and not only that, but worse, to be getting attitude) from the DME/Dr office. I'm probably oversensitive right now too b/c I'm TIRED and I haven't been feeling well on top of that.

I think I recall from some of your other threads that you have had some struggles with insomnia generally? My strong suspicion in my own case was that I developed a lot of lousy sleep practices as a result of the OSA, but treating the OSA didn't remove those practices automatically. Sadly, it took me about a year for this to dawn on me. Learn from my mistake!

A time when you are super sleep-deprived, like right now, can actually be a good time to try to modify those practices.

For a (simplistic) example.

To the extent that your life permits, establish a regular bedtime and time to get up--with the understanding that at the moment you're tossing and turning, and maybe getting up if you've lain there for half an hour wide awake. Robysue of this forum had a real struggle with CPAP-induced insomnia and has written most articulately about her struggle: http://adventures-in-hosehead-land.blog ... er_19.html. As a part of this, if you can avoid napping, you want to "consolidate" your sleep. Once you reach a certain point of exhaustion, it *may* be easier to fall asleep.

they agreed to let me come in and get a nasal mask to try. they want me to bring back the mask I have now, so no backup if the next one is even worse but I need to try something else. I'll go by this afternoon and switch out.

Can you post a screen shot of the nights where you did get a little sleep?

Here are graphs from SleepyHead and ResScan from last night. They don't really tell the whole story b/c a lot of that time I wasn't actually sleeping. I put the mask on at about 9:45 (if I remember correctly) but I know I didn't fall asleep until around 11:30 or 12.

Amy has some insomnia issues that predate cpap therapy...so the bad sleep isn't new and totally related to cpap therapy.
I have given her RobySue's blog to read especially the part about insomnia that is likely made worse by cpap therapy.
We can't blame all the insomnia on cpap therapy but it sure isn't helping the situation.
Also I don't think that we can blame OSA for all the insomnia issues so I doubt we can expect to see her insomnia fix by optimal cpap therapy.
She is a victim of "bad sleep" and the cpap machine can't fix "bad sleep" unless the OSA is the sole cause of the bad sleep and we all know that rarely is OSA the only sleep problem that people have.

It seems like we have reduces the anxiety with the breathing or suffocation issues with the greater pressure and the one size larger in the nasal pillows to help with more air movement and maybe a one more cm pressure increase might help in comfort...wouldn't hurt to try it.

She doesn't need much pressure to deal with her OSA...she isn't having excessive leaks.
What she does have is a pattern of difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep that predates cpap therapy and it is unlikely that optimal therapy is going to make that go away...her therapy is optimal on paper.
She takes one med that has a known side effect of insomnia but hasn't been taking it all that long so we can put all the blame on the meds...there may be some chronic pain issues that might be a factor...again I doubt if we can blame the bad sleep solely on one thing. Ambien helps for about 4 hours...then wears off which is not unexpected. I am thinking probably a combination of things that created the insomnia pattern and it is going to take some time to sort through those issues to find a solution.

Right now..main goal is to eliminate any potential discomfort issues with the cpap machine use...any potential breathing, suffocation or whatever issues that might increase the brain's already hyper sensitive mode. Then start working on what can be done about the insomnia itself and that isn't going to be easy. Not nearly as easy as just slapping a mask on and having it work an overnight miracle.

It isn't about not having positive attitude...she has a positive attitude about cpap therapy and wants to make it work..actually I suspect that she was hoping that the machine would fix all her sleep issues and probably embraced cpap therapy and didn't fight the diagnosis at all...just wanted something to let her sleep better. Only to find out that the cpap machine isn't the magic bullet to fix everything that is going wrong.

I wish we could offer some idea that would work the miracle for her but I am afraid it is going to take a lot of hard work and time to fix the insomnia part of things.

Hi Amy,

You said you had previous sinus surgery. Would that be an issue affecting your sleep or not?

49er

pandatx wrote:Pugsy helped tremendously. I disabled the ramp and increased my pressure by +1. It might need to go up. Or maybe I'd just do better with a nasal mask and not pillows. Its just frustrating to not be getting help (and not only that, but worse, to be getting attitude) from the DME/Dr office. I'm probably oversensitive right now too b/c I'm TIRED and I haven't been feeling well on top of that.

I am really glad you have this support team here on this forum. I can't even begin to imagine what you would be going through if it were just this Dr./DME "helping" you (and I am using that term facetiously). I have been tired for over 20 years, so I know how that can effect your outlook. Hang in there. We got your back and you are getting the best help on the internet!

If you are going to try a nasal mask...try it in the office hooked up to a machine.
I don't know if you are going to see the difference that you expect. There's going to be more surface area in contact with your face....more straps.

I wouldn't be giving the Swift FX totally away until you make darn sure that you really like the replacement.

I just spoke to them and they're going to give me a nasal mask to try but I can still keep my Swift FX for now too. Then just bring back whichever I don't want when I come for my 30 day visit.

pandatx wrote:I just spoke to them and they're going to give me a nasal mask to try but I can still keep my Swift FX for now too. Then just bring back whichever I don't want when I come for my 30 day visit.

That's good..that's the better way to do things.
It's good to try something new but it sucks if what we gave up was better than what we try.

For insomnia/sleep hygiene challenges:
Sound mind, sound sleep
Dr. Barry Krakow

Full disclosure upfront, this is the really difficult work.
It's all there, all you have to do is
want it
badly enough.

Well, you know I need a steam shovel mama to keep away the dead
I need a dump truck mama to unload my head
Bob Dylan- From a Buick 6